Films: This Howling Mazda RX-2 Is A Killer Bee
5
UP NEXT
Made To Drive | S7 E1
The Aston Martin DBS Is An Irrational Desire
Become a Member,
Watch the Full Episode

Become a Petrolicious Member to access exclusive content, our new printed magazine - Drive Tastefully Quarterly, member pricing in the P Shop, access to events and more.

Learn more
Made To Drive | S07 E01

This Howling Mazda RX-2 Is A Killer Bee

Vintage racing in an old rotary-powered car sounds like a great idea to us
19
View Comments
Up Next
Made To Drive
VIEW ALL
Mazda
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
19 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Jaime Baker
Jaime Baker
8 years ago

Absolutely loved this video. In my top 5 for sure. The car is amazing and Jason even more so. Inspiring to say the least.

DJDC
DJDC
8 years ago

“I have a fair bit of mechanical sympathy,”

Very endearing and, as a former mechanic, relatable -vid is aces

ProxyOne
ProxyOne
8 years ago

I have a 72 Herschel Orange RX2, I hope mine looks and goes as good as yours one day. Im always having a hard time finding parts here in the states.

Israel Collins
Israel Collins
8 years ago

Love it! As a card-carrying rotard, this film made my trochoidal heart go pitty-pat. Or rather, brappy-brap.

RdS
RdS
8 years ago

Another awesome video.
Saw this posted the other day, and as always.. i wait and wait until I’ve got enough time to actually pay attention. Never disappoints!
Great car, cool guy, and spot-on video.

Nicolas Moss
Nicolas Moss
8 years ago

Killer bee is such an apt name. I remember watching these race when I was a kid. Our vantage point was about a mile from the starting line. All of a sudden there was this angry buzz that grew loud, louder, but – oh my god – its still just a dust cloud around the starting line. By the time the swarm of RX-2’s made its way to our section we were half deaf and laughing our asses off. Fast and angry, it was a pure spectacle of racing joy that I’ve never forgotten.

Alexandre Goncalves
Alexandre Goncalves
8 years ago

Best intro footage ever !

Never saw one of thoses around here in Portugal. Thank for another great passionate film!

Marcus Schmidt
Marcus Schmidt
8 years ago

Insane to see a film crew from the other side of the world shooting this beautiful car in my town. Literally a dot on the map in the middle of nowhere south of Sydney. Ive been to all these places and driven all these roads many many times so its so surreal to see them in one of Petrolicious’ videos! I have a bunch of photos from the same lookout he pulls out of at around 4:01

Darren Baker
Darren Baker
8 years ago

The wheels are 13×7 Rebel Wheels, made in Australia originally during the 1970s, they were extremely popular on touring cars, sports sedans, hill climb and open wheelers due to their lightweight.
comment image

For anyone wanting to see Jasons immaculate RX2 in action, have a look at the following link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ59oK73QHo

Lucio Oquendo
Lucio Oquendo
8 years ago
Reply to  Darren Baker

Jeez. They are so right for that car. 13 inch tires are extremely hard to come by in the states….very much in awe of that car. Very Japanese…I bet they look good on holdens as well!

CANYON
CANYON
6 years ago
Reply to  Darren Baker

off the wall crazy amazingly talented racing … that you captured the finish so close to the line made for such a huge thrill ! Excellent driving .. amazing followup having left the circuit… I was juggling my breakfast plate howling for you as you weaved thru the hornet and the Porsche . You are one fine driver !

Robert Chave
Robert Chave
8 years ago

Lovely video. This whole Petrolicious series acknowledges acutely that as cars age, their preservation, restoration and adaptation to a contemporary use is a highly choiceful process; a process that is always a conversation between the owner, the aftermarket supplier community, and ultimately a conversation with what remains of the original designer’s and engineering teams’ intent.

As this owner-restorer-driver so plainly states that while the car itself is just metal, glass, paint, plastic and rubber, that the dialog which emerges between past and present; between the community of present enthusiasts and suppliers, and the market conditions, methods of building and the design premises of the past, can be a very rich, multi-level dialog.

People outside the car hobby seem not to understand. A Detroit by birth, I have always owned coveralls, a creeper, a work lamp, a set of spanners, a set of jack stands and a floor jack. This is just something we did in Detroit. We lived and breathed cars. This was not done out of economic necessity, although it certainly saved money. This was just a fascination we all had and a skill we developed, just like some groups of people invest an incredible amount of time and money in hitting tennis balls. The sub-text to all of these videos, is that while cars can be quite interesting as objects that restored, repurposed and reimagined cars emerge as the product of a complex conversation between many people over time. If the conversation did not exist, neither could the car. And the fascination of the conversation often supersedes that of the car which results.

CANYON
CANYON
6 years ago
Reply to  Robert Chave

if you don’t persently write for an auto journal.. you should ! Deeply felt ..painted image of the times passing,hands busy,imagination flying .. good times to you !

Lucio Oquendo
Lucio Oquendo
8 years ago

What kind of wheels are those? They are 13’s right? Can anybody i.d. the wheels though?

Ron Carroll
Ron Carroll
8 years ago

Jason – great work – I owned and enjoyed an original 1972 Orange RX2 4 door for around 5 years – your video and efforts to keep the spirit alive is very much appreciated.

Paul Steel
Paul Steel
8 years ago

I like it, nice job, this model is new to me, don’t think I have seen one in the UK.

Les Walmsley
Les Walmsley
8 years ago

One of the best presented cars racing today driven to its limits by a great driver and a great guy.

JB21
JB21
8 years ago

Capella Rotary Coupe. I’ve never ever seen one that is this clean, not even when those were new new in Japan. Absolutely love the noise. What does it take to make modern cars sound as mechanical as this?

Mazda used to put rotary engines in everything, by the way.

ChasH
ChasH
8 years ago
Reply to  JB21

Nicely done; takes me back to ’70s when I prepared, and sometimes drove, a similar RX-2/Capella.
I remember wondering what in the world the name Capella was doing on the parts boxes (mostly brake parts) we got from Mazda. I thought the rest of the world called the car an RX-2.

Petrolicious Newsletter